Morrisseau, John (b. 1939) MMF

8/8/2019 Morrisseau, John (b. 1939) MMF

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John Morrisseau. (b. 1939)

John Morrisseau is a residential school survivor and esteemed Mtis leader fromGrand Rapids, Manitoba. e currentl! serves as a member of the "ndian Residential#chools #urvivor $ommittee e %as the &irector of 'ublic

'articipation for the Ro!al $ommission on boriinal 'eoples.

e has served the Manitoba Government in the capacit! ofssistant &eput! Minister and &eput! Minister and theManitoba Mtis *ederation as 'resident from 19+ to 19-1. Mr.Morrisseau is considered a Mtis historian and is a recipient ofthe rder of the Mtis /ation in reconition of his dedicatedservice to his people and /ation. Mr. John Morrisseau served as'resident of the Manitoba Mtis *ederation from 19+ to 19-1.

John %as born on uust 1-, 1939 at #t. Rose du 0ac, Manitoba, the son of ella Moar

and 2rnest Morrisseau. is mother, born at inosota, %as the Michif45ib%a dauhter ofJohn Moar and 0ouisa sham. is father, born at #pence 0a6e, %as the 5ib%a4Michifson of Jean aptiste Morrisseau (#t. *rancois 7avier) and $ecile /ault (#t. Rose du 0ac).

John too6 rade eiht then %as a fisher and trapper at $rane River. e also %or6ed on ane8tra an and a surface driller at hompson. "n 19:, John married /ellie #inclair fromGrand Rapids. John entered the $anadian *orces at ae 1- and served for si8 !ears,leavin in 19;. e %or6ed for "ndian ffairs at *ort McMurra!. e then bean %or6inas a truc6 driver, came bac6 to Manitoba and also %or6ed for Manitoba ih%a!s as arader operator.

"n 19 John became politicall! active. #ince John %as truc6 drivin he %or6ed at thisfrom Monda!s to hursda!s, then for the rest of the %ee6 %or6ed as a Metis politicalorani


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hrouh intense neotiation, the! %ere able to secure research fundin throuh 19-1%hich allo%ed for intensive e8amination of church, and udson a! $ompan! records.

Mr. Morrisseau sa!s rudeau staff clearl! sa% the land claim li6e a treat! believin anopportunit! e8isted to repatriate the $onstitution.

"n 19-1, MM* 'resident John Morrisseau told the Metis and /on4#tatus "ndian$onstitutional revie% $ommission? @=e canAt dra% up the rihts of a ne% constitution%hen our rihts entrenched in the Manitoba ct of 1-+: are still outstandin. =eAre onl!puttin ourselves bac6 and ivin them another %a! out. *irst of ll, letAs settle the issuethatAs there, thatAs the issue of land claims.B

John Morrisseau, March 34;, 19-1,spea6in to the Metis and /on4#tatus "ndian $onstitutional Revie% $ommission

in =innipe, Manitoba.

Moreover, the absence %ithin the patriation resolution of a re>uirement for Mtis consentto constitutional amendments affectin them raised the real possibilit! of overnmentremovin the Mtis land rihts sections of the Manitoba ct that the MM* intended toma6e the sub5ect of ma5or litiation. Mr. Morrisseau said @"f the Government of $anada%as to repeal section 31 and 3C of the Manitoba ct throuh an amendin process, %e%ould consider such a maneuver to be the reatest breach of faith in $anadian histor!.B

n pril 1Dth, 19-1, the /ative $ouncil of $anada 5oined the Manitoba Mtis *ederationin a ma5or land claims suit aainst the federal overnment and the Government ofManitoba. he #tatement of $laim MMF v. Canadachallened the unfulfilled treat!promises made to the Metis people promisin 1.; million acres of land under theManitoba ct, 1-+:

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fter leavin the MM* in 19-1, Mr. Morrisseau 5oined the o%ard 'o%le! /&'overnment as an ssistant &eput! Minister hopin b! %or6in inside overnment, hecould continue his valuable %or6 for the Mtis. e rose to become &eput! Minister of/orthern ffairs, a position he left on March 31, 19-+.

Mr. Morrisseau sa!s @he %or6 to file the land claim helped to re46indle pride in Mtis."t %as time to lift our heads aain to feel ood about ourselves and it helped us to buildstron Mtis communities.B

/o% retired, John Morrisseau currentl! lives in Grand Rapids, Manitoba and currentl!serves as ma!or of that to%n. e and his %ife /ell! are celebratin ;D !ears toether.he! have t%o dauhters and ; sons, and ; randchildren.

he follo%in ne%spaper article appeared upon his election as president of MM* in19+?

=innipe *ree 'ress (/e%spaper) 4 Jul! CC, 19+, =innipe, Manitoba.! ob 0o%er!, $ranberr! 'ortae

Morrisseau new head of Metis, plans reorganization

J/ MRR"##2E %hose varied e8perience %ill li6el! be of some assistance to himin his ne% position of president of the Manitoba Metis *ederation. Mr. Morrisseau isfrom $rane River.

John Morrisseau, a $rane River rancher, trapper, armed forces trooper, truc6er, metro4transit bus driver and en ur pon! chariot racer has been handed the reins of the Mani4

toba Metis *ederation at %hat is doubtless the most critical moment in the ora4 ni


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H" donFt sa! %eFll be out of the red b!4March 31, 19++, but %e %ill definitel! dem4onstrate that %e are movin in a ne% he sa!s. Mr. Morrisseau aims at ivin control ofthe federation bac6 to local and reional branches. HMore than an!thin 1 %ant to unitethis oraniuestions reardin financesthe! %ere told Hto o to hell and mind their o%n business.H "n Mr. MorrisseauFs vie%there must be accountabilit! from top to bottom. H*rom m! point of vie% economicdevelopment pro5ects should come from the rass roots. " %ould li6e to see individuals inthe communities comin for%ard %ith proposals to open stores, laundromats and otherbusinesses. " %ant to see the local chairmen and reional vice4presidents supportin themin their presentations. f course, there %ould have to be come screenin to be sure thatthe pro5ects are %or6able.H Mr. Morrisseau sa!s.

he availabilit! of land for houses and local enterprises is another urent matter on Mr.MonisseauFs mind. Hur deliver! s!stem of housin throuh the rural and native housin

proram, is oin prett! %ell. he tie4 up is land. Iou 5ust canFt et a lot in most of the Dcommunities %e serve.H he! have never been surve!ed and people have been livin onland for !ears %ithout holdin title to he sa!s. $entral Mortae and ousin$orporation does not approve loans %here the developer does not have the title to thepropert!. 0ots are becomin available in subdivisions %hich Mr. Morrisseau sa!s Hcutthrouh our. 'eopleAs @pattern of life.H he! have al%a!s, lived more isolated b! la6esand rivers. he federation has had one person tr!in to deal %ith the land ac>uisition>uestion. Mr. Morrisseau proposes a committee of t%o or three deal %ith the matter.

n the thorn! issue of aboriinal rihts and land claims, Mr. Morrisseau doesnFtanticipate an Hoverniht solution.H Mr. Morrisseau favors settin up a Metis landcommission %hich %ould visit all the communities and inform people about the issue%hich is no% Hsomethin in the mind of the leadership.H e %ould also li6e thecommission to investiate the local land situation.

Many problems

H"tFs a problem that has e8isted for a lon time, l donFt thin6 it can be settled in a flash.ll our people must understand it and be read! to ma6e sacrifices to fiht it in the hesa!s. ac6lin challenes is truc6 and trade for this lean, .%ell4built Metis leader. erecalls the da! %hen his father appeared at the door of the $rane River schoolhouse andas6ed the teacher to release his son to o %inter fishin. he.teacher replied, HIou canhave him but !ouFll lose the a month of famil! allo%ance.H is father ans%ered, H" thin6heFs %orth more than that to me out on the la6e.H t the ae of 13, !oun Morrisseau%ent to %or6 on a neihborin ranch and at 1D struc6 out for north countr! to %or6 onrailroad construction. is subse>uent activities included surface mine driftin inhompson %ith *oundation $ompan! of $anada, a si8 !ear stint as a trooper %ith theCnd attalion, 'rince 'atricia $anadian 0iht "nfantr!, lon4distance truc6in, busdrivin in =innipe and C and one half !ears %ith the provincial department of hih%a!sat Grand Rapids %here he became chairman of the Manitoba Metis *ederation local. "n

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19+1, he ran unsuccessfull! for the .federation presidenc! aainst nus #pence. here%ere seven candidates and Mr. Morrisseau sta!ed in the race until the final count. e %aslater vice president of he 'as reion and also %or6ed %ith the federal4provincial ne%start proram. Mr. Morrisseau %as later e8ecutive assistant to /orthern ffairs ministerRon Mc4 r!de. e transferred to &auphin %here he %as director of the Manipoo

information proram. e left this post last March because Hfinancial restraints %ere sotiht and discourain. @e found that Mr. Mcr!de %as a ood listener but othersHhiher4up in northern affairs %ere difficult to et alon %ith.B #ince pril 1, Mr. Morris4seau has been bac6 on the trapline in the $rane River area and %or6in on the ranch. ehas C: horses and CD head of cattle. *our of the MorrisseauFs si8 children are bo!s and areH>uite capable of feedin pis, mil6in co%s and e8ercisin the horses.H is %ife /ellieis %ell versed in ranchin and politics.

$ompiled b! 0a%rence ar6%ell$oordinator of Metis eritae and istor! Research0ouis Riel "nstitute

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Morrisseau, John (b. 1939) MMF